Doing
business around the world has
been streamlined with telephone
calls, e-mails and video conferences.
But the importance of a personal
meeting with associates and
clients will never be replaced
by modern technology.

At times
the meeting will be between,
or among, trusted colleagues
who have done business together
for years. At other times,
a first meeting will be taking
place with the hope of establishing
a beneficial and rewarding
relationship.

When
a meeting is scheduled with
people from other cultures,
it’s wise to be cognizant
of that culture’s protocol.
To establish a professional
tone for the meeting and make
a good first impression, become
familiar with the standard
greeting for the country, or
the cultural group within the
country, you will be meeting.

The
handshake is used as a greeting
throughout the world. In western
countries it’s the standard,
and in other countries it has
replaced the more traditional
greeting. For countries that
may use the handshake, in addition
to a traditional greeting,
it is nice to know both. Then,
when greeting the other person,
pause and wait for a clue as
to which greeting you should
use.

Men
are safe in extending a hand
to another man. However, the
rules may change when a man
greets a woman; or a woman
greets a man, or even another
woman. Following are several
tips that will simplify the
greeting and give you some
helpful information.

-
Germany and the United States
have firm handshakes, with
the German being very brief
and the US being about three
to four seconds

- France, Guatemala, and
Japan have more limp handshakes

- Singapore has a longer
handshake (10+ seconds)

- Women should be the first
to offer a hand for a
handshake in New Zealand, Singapore,
South Korea, or Taiwan

-
In South Korea, more respect
is shown by cupping your
left hand under your right
forearm, as if supporting
your right forearm during
the hand shake

- A traditional bow may
be used in China, Hong
Kong, or Japan

- Traditional greeting
in India is namaste
-place the hands in a praying
position, palms together
with the fingers just
beneath the chin, bow
and say namaste

- Traditional greeting in
Thailand places the hands,
palms together, in front of
the chin, bow the head to touch
the
top of the fingers,
and say Sawasdee - the word that means “Good Luck”

- Women may greet other women
by patting the right
forearm or shoulder in Chile,
Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Honduras,
Mexico,
Nicaragua, or
Panama

-
Countries with Hindu and
Muslim religions forbid public
contact between men and women.
When in these countries,
follow your host’s
cue to determine if religious
tradition will be followed.

- Women should wait for a
man to offer his hand first
in a Hindu or Muslim country,
if a western handshake is going
to be used

As
you can see from this list,
even people in countries that
have religious beliefs forbidding
public contact between men
and women may use the handshake
as a business greeting when
meeting a businessman or businesswoman.

To
be professional each time you
meet with people from countries
or cultures that have these
strong religious beliefs, don’t
assume the handshake will be
the appropriate greeting. Anticipate
the situation and what greeting
options may be needed. Then
in a relaxed and confident
manner, follow the clue from
the meeting’s host.

Feedback

Giving and receiving
gifts properly is an important part
of international business. Therefore,
Kimberley would very much like to receive input
from our global newsletter subscribers on gift-giving suggestions for
their country. Please send your suggestions directly to